Vertebrate Zoology 100 Hours Certificate Course

There are 10 lessons:

1 Vertebrate Taxonomy and Diversity Taxonomic classifications (Kingdom, Phylum, Division, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species).

• Morphology and Evolution
• Environmental and Genetic Influences
• Speciation
• DiversificationConvergence
• Diet
• Habits
• Distribution
• Terminology

2 Fishes Fish Diversity (major groups):

• Class Agnatha (jawless fishes)
• Class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes) and
• Class Osteichthyes (bony fishes).

3 Ectotherms - Amphibians and Reptiles:

• Definitions, Endothermy, Ectotermic, Tetrapods
• Class Amphibia
• Order Anura (Salientia) Frogs and Toads, Salamanders and Newts
• Order Apoda (Gymnophiona) Caecilians
• Class Reptilia: Reptiles (turtles, lizards, snakes, crocodiles and the extinct Dinosauria)
• Order Rhynchocephalia - Tuatara
• Order Chelonia (Testudines) - Turtles, tortoises
• Order Crocodilia - Crocodilians
• Order Squamata - Lizards and Snakes

4 Birds -Physiology (Structure) and Anatomy, Feathers, Colour, Legs, Skeletal structure, Muscles, Senses, Behaviour (Flight, Diving, etc), Egg formation, Hatching.

• Bird Taxonomy
• Ratitae (flightless) birds
• Carinatea (flying birds)
• Water Birds (eg. Grebes, divers, Ducks, geese and swans, Storks, flamingoes and herons, pelicans, gannets and cormorants,)
• Owls, Eagles, falcons and hawks
• Chickens, turkeys, game birds and mount birds
• Rails, coots and cranes,
• Pigeons and sand grouse,
• Gulls, auks and plovers,
• Parrots, parakeets, Hummingbirds, swifts, Woodpeckers, toucans, Kingfishers, bee-eaters and hornbills, Trogonos, quetzals, plumed birds
• Perching birds such as sparrows, starlings, swallows (Passeriformes),
• Diving birds, loons, Cuckoos, coucals Nighthawks, whippoorwills, Mousebirds, etc.

5 Mammals (Mammalia)

• Overview - Taxonomy
• Sub class Prototheria (egg laying animals) - echidna and platypus
• Sub class Metatheria (Marsupials) eg. koala, kangaroo and opossum
• Sub class Eutheria (Placental masmmals -these include such diverse forms as whales, elephants, shrews, and armadillos, dogs, cats, sheep, cattle and horses. Humans, of course, are also placental mammals).

6 Marsupials -Subclass Theria

• kangaroos
• koalas
• wombats
• bandicoots
• opossums
• phalangers, etc
• Marsupials Physiology and locomotion, Reproduction

7 Grandorders Glires and Insectivora

• Rodents
• Rabbits
• Pikas
• Hedgehogs
• Moles
• Shrews and Tenrecs
• Taxonomy, structure, Adaptations

8 Carnivores

• dogs
• wolves
• bears
• racoons
• cats
• weasels
• hyenas
• seals, sea lions and walruses
• Taxonomy, Physiology, Adaptations

9 Hoofed Mammals (Ungulata: Includes seven orders)

• Order Artiodactyla. This includes: Hippopotami, Deer, Giraffe, Sheep, Cattle, Antelope, Camelids
• Order Cetacea. This includes: Dolphins, Porpoises, Whales
• Order Perissodactyla. This includes: Horses, Rhinoceroses, Tapirs
• Order Tubulidentata. This includes: Ardvarks
• Order Hyracoidea. This includes: Hyraxes (or Conies)
• Order Proboscidea. This includes: Elephants
• Order Sirenia. This includes: Manatees and Dugongs

10 Primates and other Archonta. This grandorder is sub divided into four sub orders:

• Scandentia e.g. Tree Shrews
• Dermoptera e.g. Flying Lemurs, Colugos
• Chiroptera. This order comprises the bats.
• Primates (Or Order Primates and sub order Strepsirhini) e.g. humans, monkeys, apes and lemurs